Today, however, I want to focus on the top ten things to know about the Trainer+, especially as a beginner.

1

Pause briefly at the top to load weight. In your research, you may have heard that the Trainer+ does not have an on-or-off button for weight. Instead, it uses a range of movement (ROM) system that you program at the start of every set by doing 3 “practice reps”. However, a number of features — such as the spotter mode, the Time-Under-Tension mode, and going too far above or below the ROM — can reduce the weight you are under. If you find yourself looking at your average weight and seeing a large difference between what you’d expect, don’t forget to pause at the top of a second or two to “reload” the weight. This is especially true for big compound lifts. Pausing at the top works across nearly all of the modes and ensures you are truly lifting the maximum amount of weight.

Key tip: Generally manipulating how much time you spend at the top or bottom of a rep can be a huge help on any exercise. If you are feeling something is too heavy, you can pause at the bottom to deload. If you want a higher eccentric and a lower concentric, you can set a higher weight, pause at the top on the way down and then pause at the bottom to deload until it hits the desired weight on concentric. If you aren’t seeing enough weight load (with progression toggled), you can wait an extra few seconds at the top to ensure weight is fully loaded.

2

Understanding how range of movement (ROM) works is critical. ROM can be a little tricky for beginners given the 3 practice reps required to set it per movement. Some have complained that getting into position on an exercise uses up one of the three reps. Others have noted that ROM doesn’t work well for exercises with very low range like calf raises and hip thrusts. There are a number of tricks to help solve these issues.

Getting in position. Vitruvian has noted that Rep 2 and Rep 3 are the most essential for ROM, so as long as you correctly identify the range in those reps, the exercise should correctly count your ROM. Similarly, Rep 1 actually has quite a bit of elasticity in that it doesn’t immediately count the first time the cables move as a rep. There is a small window where you can get in position and do you rep from top (lifting to top of ROM after you are set) to bottom to top again where it will only count as 1 rep).

Low ROM exercises are definitely a struggle for many on the Trainer+. It is likely one of the most frustrating parts of the machine. There are a few ways to help alleviate — though not fully eliminate — problems.

• First — ensure you are doing low ROM sets either in Old School mode or at least with the Beast Toggle on.
• Second — after doing practice ROMs for the exercise, do an exaggerated shrug/shoulder lift/leg lift at the top of each rep of the exercise when the weight has loaded. This will force the machine to see you have gone above the ROM set for the exercise. So for example, if you’re doing a calf raise, once you have the weight loaded, go up on your toes as normal, and then add a short shrug at the top to bring the cable up ever so slightly.
• Third and finally — the Trainer+ has a bit of a grace period at the bottom of reps before it deloads weight. The best way to ensure you don’t deload on ROM is holding at the top with an exaggerated move and then landing at the bottom and moving up on concentric instantly with minimal pause almost as if you are bouncing off the device. This prevents the Trainer+ from having time to deload and instead sees it as a smooth up — down on the rep.

3

Proper positioning is important. Make sure the middle of your feet are at least parallel to the connectors/cables. This will ensure that in the big heavy lifts, you don’t accidentally lift the device. When doing other exercises, having your feet on the device itself rather than the ground around it — despite what the sample exercise gif may show — is better form. For example, doing a seated row with your feet on the edges of the device instead of the ground around it almost guarantees the device won’t lift even if you go very heavy with it.

Key tip: Working out barefoot really helps with many of the exercises as it allows you to grip the device workout mat so you don’t slip and therefore accidentally tilt the machine. I haven’t tilted the machine since my first day with it.

4

Do the onboarding video as well as the 1 on 1 session. As detailed in my review, nearly all of the classes — including the strength assessment — use Time-Under-Tension (TuT) mode. TuT works off of momentum. The faster you go up on concentric, the more consistent the weight is, the slower you go down the more likely it will keep the maximum weight set. While this may seem relatively easy to comprehend, in practice, it is quite a bit harder. Keeping tension is about more than the speed in which you are doing the reps, but also about how strongly you are gripping the bar/handles and ensuring there is no “slack” in the cabling. This takes some getting used to.

Key tip: I highly recommend you take advantage of the free 1-on-1 video conference training session Vitruvian provides every user as well as doing some of the onboarding videos (specifically the new beginner 2 program vs beginner 1).

5

Do strength assessments regularly. While the device generally does a good job of increasing the weight you’re lifting over time to ensure you progress, the all-around strength assessments are a good way to ensure you keep pace. Given the need to learn the device, coming back to the assessment after your first few weeks of using the device after you’ve learned TuT, will also result in more accurate weights.

Key tip: You can also do individual exercises — especially your big compound ones — in progression mode to achieve similar results if you feel like the set programming around your weight is too low.

6

Yes. The weights do feel heavier and you’ll need to adjust. Because the Vitruvian doesn’t allow momentum, prevents you from cheating on reps, and provides consistent tension even on the eccentric, don’t assume you can lift the same weight as you can on traditional weights. How much the difference is will depend on the exercise. For my big compound lifts, I saw a smaller gap on core/leg movements like Deadlift / Squat (15%) and bigger gap on upper body like bench (25–30%) or overhead press (35–40%). Take your time, use Old School mode to really test yourself, run some of their newer classes, and then once you feel like you have a good handle on the weight, move into your own programming.

Key tip: Take a class with progression that has at least 60–70% of your digital weight “PB” to start and use the difficulty slider to go up to 110 or 120% the first two weeks to fully key in your weights. Gerard’s Bulk classes or Nikka’s Badass Build program are two recommendations. Once you feel you’re getting a difficult work-out, you can use the normal difficulty 100% setting and still get an excellent workout.

7

Work on your grip strength. Given the accessories are padded with no knurling, your grip will be challenged when you get to higher weights. Spend some time working on your grip strength even if you don’t think you need it. Reverse biceps curls, doing hand extensions, and using a crush really help in this regard. I found my grip is most tested at the 200lb range and with longer time under tension (45s-1m). While generally one should work on naturally improving grip strength, I would also invest in weight straps if you are approaching the limits of your grip strength.

Key tip: The original handles versus the premium ones are unfortunately better for this purpose since they are largely plastic without the padding allowing you to grip them better for higher weights.

8

Smart eccentric training is relatively new. While focusing on eccentric movement isn’t new, the kind of specific always on tension / non-momentum based sets is. Studies showing how smart gyms like the Vitruvian and Tonal help grow muscle with eccentric overload are still being done. Approaching the Trainer+ like a traditional trainer with traditional workout regimens is certainly an option, but there are a whole range of ways you can grow muscle and tone.

Key tip: Don’t be afraid to try some of the TuT programs once you are comfortable with the setting. I’ve found the Pyramid sets in Badass Build are very effective. Similarly, focusing on long eccentric movements (3–5 seconds) and short burst concentric movements should be good practice regardless of the mode you are in.

9

Find the right exercise setup for you. Many of the coaches use their own variations of an exercise for their classes. Some coaches use the double handle connector to do rows, others use the short bar. Some coaches use the bench for glute bridges or hip thrusts, other coaches lay directly on the device itself. There are no right or wrong answers on which setup is best — and despite the frustration of learning which setup is best for you — beginners should feel comfortable using the exercise setup that works and not worry too much about deviating too much from the program.

Key tip: Vitruvian coaches post a lot of helpful movement videos on the Vitruvian instagram. You don’t need an account to follow and can simply just watch a few of those videos for ideas on what works best. Similarly, some of the newer classes have better setups for certain exercises than older classes. Ensure you’ve spent some time taking them to learn what works best.

10

The software is uneven across platforms and a WIP. The Android TV app is missing key features such as Programs (vs classes), custom work-outs, showcasing of data, and syncing to Google Fit. There is no native Apple TV or iPad app. Updates between apps are sometimes delayed. Apple got 1lb progression weeks before Android did. Unfortunately, key features are also still missing. My next article will be a lengthy run-through on what is missing in the software, but 1RM calculations, full tracking of concentric/eccentric PBs, poor quality movement gif/videos, syncing with other Fitness services like Garmin, exercise/class wide stats, gamification elements, and much more is still missing. This is normal for a start-up still working on the product. But important for any new user or prospective buyer to know.

Key tip: Focus on what it does do well: provide quick, difficult, and results-oriented workouts. Sign-up to the Team Vitruvian Facebook page and provide feedback on the page as well as in-app for changes you’d like to see.

I’ve been interested in fitness all my life. As a long-time athlete, I’ve been weightlifting since I was in my teens. Like many, however, I’ve gone through periods of relative laziness in between my periods of intense training. I began my most recent journey in 2019 with a pair of PowerBlock dumbbells. This quickly progressed to buying my own Rogue squat rack and attachments. While I lift relatively heavy — 250+ squat/deadlift for my 5’11 180lb frame — I am definitely not a bodybuilder.

Years — and a pandemic! — of owning a squat rack later, I got tired of how much room said rack was taking and the relative slowness of having to load weight plates constantly. So I went hunting for something that would speed up my workouts, be easier to track, and of course, took up less room. Enter smart gyms.

At first, I was immediately drawn to the Tonal Gym when I saw their nationwide marketing campaign in the of Fall 2021. I researched for months, went to showrooms to try it out, and even accidentally convinced a few of my friends to buy it. I — however — did not. The primary factors that held me from purchasing the Tonal were the low max weight of 200lbs, the horror stories I’d heard about reliability/customer service and XPO, and the lack of desire to dedicate a wall. I most struggled with the max weight conundrum given what I had heard about EM weights feeling heavier and doubting if 200lbs would be enough given my desire to continue to get stronger. I was worried that I would max out a few compound lifts relatively early and have to move to single-leg or high-rep workouts relatively quickly. This was unappealing to me given my history of tendinitis.

I largely gave up on smart gyms for nearly a year and purchased a subscription to the Fitbod app to bring some smart into my “dumb home gym” (I’ll write a review on that later). In August 2022, nearly a year after my first flirtation with the Tonal, I came across the Garage Gym Review of the Vitruvian Trainer+. Here was a gym that I could lift heavy in (440+lbs!), not take up a wall, and didn’t require a middle man. The problem, however, was that from everything I had heard online, the hardware was miles ahead of the software. This meant patience and time would be necessary — which in the context of a start-up that could go belly-up in an instant — meant taking a real risk.

To mitigate the risk, I decided to do as much research into the company as I did the product itself. The below represents what I have learned throughout my research and my now several-week ownership of the device.

The Company:

Financing

Purchasing any product, especially an early-stage one, is like investing in the company itself. Despite the recent downtrend of smart gym equipment, I believe Vitruvian has many of the hallmarks of a winner.

When looking at investing in anything — a stock, a company, or an early-stage product — you want to look for a few things such as scalability, current backers, and logistical/other hurdles. Tonal — Vitruvian’s biggest competitor — reached unicorn status last year and has obviously scaled a lot with a massive 250m round in Series E funding. With all its celebrity backers, shiny retail stores, and now years of class content, it looks nigh unstoppable in the market. With this comes a lot of overhead and we’re seeing a contraction of that overhead with the layoff of their original coaches, closing of their LA studio, and workforce cuts (30% in June 2022, and another 20% in late September 2022).

Vitruvian meanwhile just completed its Series A funding at 15M in May 2022 (Tonal received 12M in its Series A all the way back in Oct 2016). It is clear the founder has highlighted a lot of learned lessons from these examples in a recent podcast where he discussed his desire to grow more organically and slowly to avoid overhead. This means we are very much comparing apples and oranges on platforms given the six-year difference between the two companies and the seemly intentional slow growth by the company.

In this context, concerns about software and specifically the lack of many of the connected features, classes, and gamification elements present in other platforms need to be tempered when looking at the Vitruvian. It is just too early. That said, understanding the roadmap and goals is important. That is why a recent blog post from one of Vitruvian’s backers, TEN13, on how the company plans to succeed in software is a worthwhile read for anyone who owns or plans to buy. The other backer, Andrew Larsen of Afterwork Ventures was an early seedbacker of Peleton and also has a blog out.

The Consumer Market

Another major factor in anyone’s decision-making should be an understanding of the consumer market vis a vis Tonal/Mirror/Forme etc. The overlap of people who have thousands of dollars, want to strength train/fitness, and own their property / are willing to drill massive holes in an open wall is relatively small. Peleton is successful because its footprint is relatively small, it can be moved, and is easy to use. Tonal is an incredible platform, but in some ways, needs to either allow self-install or a non-wall solution and/or have more weight to expand its market. The Vitruvian Trainer+ is a ground-based platform device that has all of its movements and weights coming from the ground. So they solve some of these issues by being a portable device that can be hidden under a bed or table. They have mentioned several times that they plan to use an add-on structure for more capability (with an overhead attachment thru a bench coming by EOY 2022, a rower attachment in 2023, and perhaps a camera or screen) for those who need it. This flexibility is its strength and allows people from all walks of life to take advantage of the platform. In a rental? No problem. Move a lot? Good to go.

During my research, I learned Vitrivan plans to have a lead time for shipping to drop to 5 days and hopes to have demonstrations in every major city in the United States by the end of the year. Interestingly, rather than focus on retailers (Nordstrom) and storefronts, Vitruvian is partnering with gyms which seems cheaper and likely more distributive. Recent reports from new orders have said that the company has gotten orders out within a week. That means Vitruvian is crossing major hurdles before the end of the year.

Downsides on repairability/service

Finally, a major turn-off for me for Tonal was their use of XPO and the struggle with reliability. It seems the product either works (and there are so many happy customers!) or it doesn’t and people are stuck in limbo with an oft-maligned logistics company that seems to have trouble with communication/execution. The benefit of the Trainer+ is you can receive delivery and if something is wrong with it they can simply mail you a new one, fix it over the phone if possible, or work with a contracted repair service that they liken to major appliance repairs like washers/refrigerators. This is pretty substantially different from the Tonal model of having to repair 99% of problems through a full replacement that requires XPO appointments to take the device off the wall and to put a new one back on. Finally, with the add-on structure, Vitruvian is aiming for, if one thing fails, you’re able to keep using other parts of it. This excites me.

Cost:

I purchased the Vitruvian Trainer+, the Pro Kit, and a lifetime subscription. With the use of the promo code, the cost ended being $4,295 all-in. $2495 for the device, $450 for the Pro Kit, $969 for the Lifetime Membership, $331 in taxes, 150$ in shipping, and an easily acquirable $100 promo code discount. *NOTE: AFTER THE WRITING OF THIS ARTICLE, VITRUVIAN INTRODUCED A NEW PRICING MODEL THAT BUNDLES 1-YEAR OF SUBSCRIPTION/TAXES WITH THE DEVICE. NOW THE PRICE IS $4430 WITH PRO KIT, LIFETIME AND COUPON.*

Looking at it in comparison to similar products like the Tonal, the Forme Lift, and the OxeFit:

Tonal — with the Smart Accessories is $4542.10 after taxes and shipping. $100referral discounts are easily available, bringing cost down to $4442.10. This does *not* include subscription, but Tonal requires you to pay for a year to use the device at first.

Forme — with Lift and Advanced Lift attachments is $5,740 after shipping. This does *not* include subscription.

Oxefit — with standard mode is $5827.88 after shipping and taxes. This *does* include a year required subscription you have to pay at time of ordering.

Given this, I felt the Vitruvian Trainer+ was an excellent deal. Cheaper than any of the competition — even with a lifetime subscription — is hard to pass up. With shipping, a rogue rack, weights, bars, and attachments came out to approximately 3500$.

Why a lifetime subscription?

Vitruvian like many fitness companies limits the use of the device if you are not subscribed. Right now, someone who is not subscribed can use any of the four workout modes, create workouts, and set weights. Unfortunately, tracking of data, including even mundane things like reps, your last weight, and max weight/personal best tracking is only included in the subscription. This has certainly created a rift in the community, but is still an improvement over Tonal and Peleton where both devices just become fancy paperweights if you aren’t subscribed. Vitruvian claims they sell their device at cost and membership is a required part of development. As such, they have been resistant to a tiered pricing model to those who just want data versus those who want the full package.

In my experience using the device, I found that the tracking features do motivate me much more than I would have thought. While I do believe the device is perfectly usable without it since there are plenty of weight/rep tracking apps out there and you’d track just like you would at a normal gym, be warned you get literally *no* data without a subscription. As someone who has long used apps — from 5/3/1 to Stronger to Fitbod — to track his lifting, having the option of data integrated into the platform was a must. So I felt a subscription was required and I quickly settled on a lifetime subscription. The cost for a lifetime subscription is $970 and applies to the device (and that device only) with unlimited profiles.

The math is relatively simple:

If purchasing a 1 year subscription at the outset:
$323 = $27/mo for introductory rate for the first year and 40$ a month after that = 28 months to break even on lifetime.

Month to month:
$40 a month = 24 months to break even on lifetime.

Lifetime:
$970

So the analysis was simple, will I keep this device and use it for 2+ years? Given my weight training history AND if they continue to develop the platform, I think it's a pretty decent bet. Peleton’s first bike lasted 5 years. I think given the Trainer+ is an improvement from the original V-Form two years ago, we won’t see another iteration for at least another 2 years and perhaps even longer.

Shipping and Delivery:

I ordered my Vitruvian on August 22nd and it shipped on September 15th via UPS. An approximately 3-week wait compared to the stated 6 weeks on their website. Unfortunately due to UPS losing my package, I didn’t actually receive the device until late September. A quick shoutout to Vitruvian support who after a few days of trying to get a hold of UPS simply pushed forward to mail me a new one until UPS magically just dropped the lost packages on my doorstep.

There was no fanfare in the delivery. No signature was required. No complicated third-party installer to schedule. Simply two large boxes dropped on my stoop. I quickly took the boxes in and shot some photos and this unboxing video to give all of you a sense of what things look like when you first receive your Vitruvian Trainer+.

Weight, Size, and Mobility

The Vitruvian weighs about 65lb and measures 44 x 20 x 5 inches. It has indented handles on both sides, and roller skate-style wheels to allow you to maneuver it around. In practice, the device if you are able to lift it 30 degrees or higher is relatively easy to move around. Yes, it is a little heavy, but it is relatively maneuverable. So much so that I typically put it under my living room table and pull it out when I want to use it. I will note that if the device is not able to be angled enough so that the wheels touch the ground — say under a piece of furniture that doesn’t have a lot of headroom — it can be a bit of a pain to pull out.

Hardware & Accessories

The Device

The comments online about the quality of the hardware I think understate the device. It has clean lines, feels very solidly built, and is elegant looking. Despite some reviews online about the possibility of the carbon fiber wings cracking if you slammed accessories down, I haven’t seen any indication of real wear and tear. The thing is a tank. All in all, it just looks futuristic and well put together. Most importantly: I didn’t notice any largescale plastic surface areas or pieces that I was worried about such as when using the Tonal.

In fact, one of my biggest frustrations with the Tonal seems to have been resolved here. On the Tonal, the arms have some flexibility and “give” as having them stiff would make them more prone to breaking during heavy movements. Similar to the concept of flexibility in aircraft so that it can bow to deal with pressure/force in the air. In practice for the Tonal, however, this “give” creates a lot more shake to the product as the arms move when lifting. The “shaking stabilizer” videos on Tonal viral marketing are a good example of this. On the Vitruvian, there is a very solid base that the cables come from. No middle man of handles or arms, so any shake is coming from you. In fact, in my experience using the device I’ve noticed very little shake on my part on any exercises.

Finally, where I have been most impressed with how little the cables creak and how relatively quiet the machine fan is. To be clear, there is still definitely a noise associated with the machine itself — like a computer fan running in the background — and when the cables ramp up. But compared to other devices that I have tried, it seems quieter by comparison. This Instagram video I think properly highlights the cable noise/machine fan.

The Accessories:

The Pro accessories are also similarly solidly built. The handles, the long bar, and the short bar in particular are well-weighted, feel substantial, and the padding on them feels very nice on the hands. I would definitely rank them higher in quality than the Tonal accessories. Unfortunately, there is a downside to the padding. It makes the bar and handles a little thicker to hold and obviously means there is a lack of knurling that those who lift with Olympic dumb/barbells are used to. This can make it a little harder to grip on heavier lifts such as deadlifts. This issue can be rectified on the bar with wrist straps and/or using a mixed grip but is a little harder to do so on the handles once you get over 200lbs. By the end of some of these workouts, I have definitely noticed my forearms get sore. The Trainer+ itself comes with a pair of smaller more manageable plastic handles which can help and some have found these to be more comfortable than the padded handles on higher-weighted lifts.

The ropes, belts, and ankle straps largely seem normal commercial-grade equipment. They look well put together with good tight stitching and are unlikely to rip, but they aren’t anything special to write home about. One area of concern I will flag is that the wire for the ankle straps feels a little short and I often have struggled to try to get it attached to the device. A way around this is attaching the strap to the Trainer+ first and then strapping it to your ankles.

Attaching the Accessories

The proprietary attachment and detachment system is brilliant. You simply have to push down on a black ring and the accessories come right out. It is so simple and easy to use, you can do this one-handed without much trouble. Tonal’s T-Lock is another excellent invention — easier to use in some ways — but I did find you would need two hands for that.

The Bench

Finally, I know there has been some controversy on the bench. Both its quality and its size. As an owner of the Rep Fitness AB-3000 bench — which has been considered the gold standard for many — I fall in the middle of these arguments. For its purpose, I believe it is a well-put-together bench. The material feels nice, the stitching is well done, and it is mobile/light enough that you can move it in and out of the way easily (which given the classes is necessary). It feels stable enough to hold a relatively heavy person on it. Does it feel as substantial as my AB-3000? No, but they serve different purposes. The bench material on my AB-3000 does feel like it will hold up better as well, but I think that is more a statement on just how good that bench is rather than a repudiation of the Vitruvian Bench.

Sizewise, however, I can understand some of the complaints. I’m 5’11 and the bench fits me just fine. But I can imagine someone who is 6’5 or taller may struggle with the length of the bench. It measures about 45 inches long, a full foot shorter than my AB-3000. Still useable I think as I’ve had a particularly tall friend use it without much complaint, but I can certainly see it not being everyone’s cup of tea. The width between both benches is similar — about 11–12 inches — so there isn’t much concern or difference there.

Using the Device

So I’ve droned on and on about the company, the cost, the device, and its accessories. But, how is it to use? Am I happy with my purchase? What would I change? Should you buy a Vitruvian Trainer+ vs Tonal?

My overall view is not that dissimilar from many others online: the Trainer+ is an excellent device and I would rate it as a solid 8/10 overall. It still has a few kinks and issues that prevent me from giving it a 10/10 review. There have been several times over the past few weeks where I’ve thought it was surprising something basic wasn’t in there yet. That said — I think in terms of potential — it truly has the ability to get there, but needs time and a little luck. There is no doubt the thing just flat works though: I’ve had more difficult, sweaty, shaky knee/shoulders/chest workouts since owning the device than I’ve had in the past year combined. Digital weights are a marvel and I think the implementation of them on the Vitruvian is excellent. It is also fast! I complete most of my workouts in 30 minutes whereas I used to take over an hour in the gym.

Set Up

The device is relatively easy to set up. Since it does not come with a screen, you have pair it with a phone, tablet, or TV app to functionally use it. You take it out of the box, plug it in, download the Vitruvian App, sign up for an account, and scan the QR code to get going. I will note there is an online portal you have to visit through your browser to activate the machine and get your free 30-day trial, but it was relatively simple.

Unfortunately, activation of a lifetime membership is a more manual process. According to the reps at Vitruvian, they don’t have an automatic way to do it. Instead, they will email you once your device arrives telling you to send them the email that is associated with the device and they will input in the backend. This means that you must first activate the device, sign-up for the trial (including inputting credit card information), and get started before you can be flagged for a lifetime membership. This isn’t a big deal, but I know for some any additional surface areas to put your CC number is not ideal.

A quick look at the toggles and modes:

The Vitruvian Trainer+ comes with 4 key modes and 3 toggles. They have teased subscribers will get access to other modes, but have not revealed what those could be.

The progression and regression toggles do exactly what they sound like. They allow you to add or remove weight at the end of every *rep*. The weight is increased/decreased in these toggles by kilograms, so even if you are in the ole US of A and use pound the UI basically uses 2.2lbs (1kg), 4.4lbs (2kg), and 6.6lbs (3kg). I’d like to see this number lowered given that on some smaller accessory workouts, 2.2lbs is still quite a jump. The machine is certainly able to do it given you can set your starting weight by 1-pound increments.

The beast toggle changes how the machine loads and unloads weight through the modes and the spotter. It makes the device a little less sensitive to slowdowns in tempo and therefore doesn’t unload as quickly.

Pump mode focuses on Velocity/Speed. The faster you drive up, the closer you will get to the set’s resistance. This set usually pairs well with the progression toggle as it allows you to speed to higher and higher weights and can be helpful for reaching new PBs. It does feel like it would increase the risk for injury as speed is a major focus vs slow tension focused workouts.

Old School mode is claimed to be similar to static weight, but more realistically it is simply Time Under Tension without the tempo adjustments. You still get the eccentric pull as well as the spotter mode. The one area to be aware of is that Old School mode deloads weight at the bottom of the rep if you hold down there too long and reloads weight at the top of the set if you hold for a second or two.

Eccentric Only does exactly what it sounds like: providing load only on the downward phase of the exercise. There is minimal resistance on the concentric (upward lifting) phase. A lot of research has been done on the impact of muscle growth using eccentric-only modes and in my experience, eccentric-only is incredibly helpful in allowing you to load substantially more weight than you normally do. This can allow you get your muscles used to a specific weight and therefore break new PRs.

Time Under Tension (TuT) mode seems to be the signature mode of the trainer. It adjusts weight based on the tempo of your workout. The lifter must go slowly and keep tension on the way down while doing a quick burst on the way up. It provides and adjusts weight on both the eccentric and the concentric movements based on how well you are holding tension. As a result, the vast majority of the classes make use of this mode. Unfortunately, as you will read, TuT has its ups and downs. It requires a decent amount of learning/training on part of the user to use it correctly.

First Impressions and Steps

The machine takes some getting used to. I felt incredibly prepared having done a ton of research going into my first steps and workouts and still didn’t completely appreciate how to properly use the device. In particular, given that the majority of the classes on the device use TuT, the device/mode is very sensitive to tempo changes that a new user may not be used to. This is worsened by the machine’s sensitivity and propensity to deload if it senses unevenness of strength on one side (ie tipping the bar or handle) or the angle of the rep changing.

The tension portion is the most important part, however. Even though I knew from my research you had to keep tension to prevent the device from unloading on you, in practice the feeling of doing it is quite different. You very much have to keep a firm grip and keep your arms tense at all times when doing any workout. This can get a little frustrating in later sets of a workout if a lifter gets tired and loosens their grip a little as the machine senses the reduced tension and drops weight very quickly. This is helpful for some workouts certainly, but for others (especially leg workouts) where your arms may give before your legs, it can be annoying. TuT also doesn’t work very well for low range of motion exercises given how little margin for error there is before deloading. This is why learning the device is essential and over time you instinctively keep tension on. The beast toggle helps immensely here since it makes the device less sensitive to these weight deloads or removes them altogether. As such, you really have to focus on your rhythm, tempo, form, and movements with this device more than you ever would with free weights — both to get the most out of the machine, but also to ensure you don’t run into problems.

Of course, the Old School Mode has none of these problems. Other than ensuring you’re not holding the device too close to the bottom of the rep so that it doesn’t unload, it provides a smooth easy non-tempo-based workout that is relatively close to how using a real weight equivalent would feel like. Of course, it still definitely feels quite a bit heavier than a barbell would given the eccentric weight and the lack of momentum/inertia in the device. As a result, many have commented that Old School is their favorite out of all the modes. It is easy to see why this is the case and would truly recommend anyone first starting out with the device to try this mode out first and then branch out to TuT and eccentric-only.

Unfortunately, as you will see later in this review, Viturivan forces TuT on you in its strength assessment and nearly all of its classes at precisely the worst moment of an owner's time with the device: their first steps. After weeks of owning the device, I do firmly believe that TuT is the most unique selling feature of the device and one of its best. But that is only after many hours of learning it. The feeling you get of having perfect, slow, measured movements on your exercises with the device keeping you honest is something that is hard to describe. TuT is truly something I love and is one of my favorite ever things to do whilst lifting. It just isn’t great for a beginner.

Vitruvian DOES offer an onboarding session and I would advise everyone to take them up on it, I think it can be incredibly useful even if you don’t think you need it.

Repairability

I had a problem early on where the device would deload during the middle of the rep range or tug a few times, but was able to fix this by pulling the cables to their maximum position and having them reel back in. The manual actually details a process to open the service windows on the bottom of the machine on each side to check if things are properly attached. Which I did do and noticed the need to pull the cables out. This was a nice reminder of how much more self-service/usable the machine is versus competitors. Per the earlier section, I was also able to improve my tension during the workout and ensure my positioning wasn’t uneven (with the bar tipping) which also significantly improved the quality of the workout.

Tipping the Device

It is important to note that if your feet are not near the front of the device, it can be easy to tip the Trainer+ over. My first few workouts I definitely had some awkward moments where I accidentally lifted the whole front of the Trainer+ above the ground. It was both terrifying and difficult to manage at the moment. Seated rows and alternating lunges are two particular workouts where this can happen. It’s relatively easy to learn where to plant your feet once you learn these workouts and I haven’t had issues with it since my first week.

Vitruvian apparently already has a commercial floor bolt-on attachment, but it sounds like they are making it available on the consumer side soon. It really isn’t necessary once you learn the device and where to stand, but I can see it being helpful for those who lift especially heavy on single-sided lifts.

Spotter and Adjustments

The spotter mode is wonderful. I feel it perfectly notices when I am struggling and takes just a dash of weight off to help me complete a rep. Vitruvian has said a few times that their device makes adjustments up to 50 times a second and I believe it. I see very slight, but rapid adjustments at the end of a workout/set where it is clear I am totally gassed, but it never takes too much off on the spotter that it becomes too easy. It is incredible and I’d easily say the best thing they’ve done right on the device.

Strength Assessment

The machine recommends you take a strength assessment and based on performance recommends weights for nearly all of the work-outs. The assessment is a work in progress in my view. It basically uses Time Under Tension mode with a progression toggle. Unfortunately, due to some of the things I mentioned earlier, the assessment feels way too fast for a beginner who is just learning the machine with just 15-second rests and 25-second set periods. The progression also ramps up and doesn’t scale back quickly enough or if it does it scales very oddly. Finally, the workouts in the assessment are a bit odd — the use of lying flys and floor presses whilst holding your neck up feels like an injury risk. I would rather they use the bench given laying on the floor can feel very odd to someone who is much larger than the machine. While I understand the desire to be inclusive for those without accessories, the inability to swap out a workout or two here (which is a theme across the software, more on that later) is frustrating.

Finally, the recommended weights at the end of the process were much lower than they should have been. Thankfully the software does have a difficulty slider you can use across all workouts (classes or preprogrammed) and is one of its best features. For my first workout, I moved the slider all the way to 120% and got the perfect killer workout.

I’ve heard others recommend retaking the strength assessment if you feel the weights are too low or redoing it every month or two just to ensure the device is adjusting to you. I’ve also seen others recommend you do a pump mode on your big compound lifts separate from the assessment just to key in on the perfect weight for you. I can see some reason to do both these options, especially after you learn TuT mode a bit and also adjust to what digital weights feel like.

Working Out on the Device and Using Classes

I’ve put in dozens of hours into the Trainer+ at this point. Doing my own preprogrammed workouts and a new set of “Bulk” classes that was just released in September 2022. I am happy to say I am very pleased with the new classes as well as how the machine reacts during them. It constantly feels like the machine is fighting you — in a good way — and you are regularly pushed to complete exhaustion. I’ve definitely sworn at my machine and laughed at it more times than I can count! This is why I feel the hardware and actual workout rating on this thing is closer to 9 or even 9.5 / 10.

On the big compound and high-range workouts, the devices just flat works wonderfully. I just love how squats, deadlifts, and bench presses feel on this thing. I got to 200lbs on my deadlift and squat (for high reps) relatively quickly which affirmed my worries about the Tonal. I was surprised by how much I struggled on the bench press — hitting only about 140lbs — as a 200+lb bench presser.

Range of Movement

One area of improvement, however, is the range of movement (ROM) system. For every set one does on the machine, it requires you to do 3 unweighted ROM reps. This seems relatively simple and usually works well for big exercises with big ROMs, but there are a few key problems. Because the device deloads quickly if you get below the ROM or if you lose tension, exercises with small ROMs feel uneven and uncomfortable at best. Things like calf raises, weighted crunches, seated rows, and even hip thrusts sometimes feel like they deload very quickly because the ROM is so small and tension is harder to keep. I constantly feel like the machine loses me on these smaller accessory lifts. Moving from TuT to Old School for these specific and/or using the Beast Toggle helps, but given that many of the classes use only TuT and don’t use the beast toggle, it is still frustrating. It becomes doubly so when a class forces you to use TuT for a low ROM exercise as it just worsens the experience.

I’ve also read others complaining about this issue and also about the first ROM rep being counted whilst getting into position in the machine which can make the ROM too far or too little for that exercise. I haven’t personally had this issue more than once or twice, but when it does happen, it ruins the set, and you have basically start it over. Vitruvian needs to come up settings to fix these issues: allowing weight to be turned on and off like the Tonal could really help for some exercises, allowing a ROM redo would help immensely, and fine-tuning the ROM system further to account for smaller ROM exercises better would go a long way.

Software Overall

The biggest bet any owner will be taking with this device is if the Vitruvian team lands on software. Right now the software is a solid 7/10. It does the basics and any user who buys today will be perfectly happy with what the device has right now. But I am not going to mince words. They have a decent amount of work to do as some pretty obvious conveniences that are missing and frankly there are just some sloppy things that need to be cleaned up. When viewed in the context of the excellent hardware, it's obvious the software is what is holding it back.

Classes

Classes are an interesting mix. As many have noted online, the newer classes have better production value and the coaches seem a bit more familiar with the machine as well as being a personality on the device. It really shows: they act like they know what they are doing and have a sense of what they are talking about in terms of the impact of certain exercises on the body.

Unfortunately, they don’t date the workouts so it can be hard to figure out what is new and what isn’t. Similarly, you can’t actually preview the workouts in the programs so you have to first get the name of the class in the program and then go into the class section to search it and find it. This is some very unnecessary friction. The UI, branding, and marketing also really needs a rework. Many of the workouts are labeled using the same terminology (Intro to Hypertrophy/Full Body Hypertrophy, Tough Shred/Christmas Shred etc), so it can be really hard to find something that fits or makes sense. They need to spend some time branding the classes, creating a cult following of types around them (Go Big or Go Home on the Tonal is an example vs Upper Body Bulk), and focusing on stronger more lifting-based programming.

To this end, given the amount of serious lifters that seem to be purchasing this device, I would really encourage them to focus on building out 5/3/1-style, 5x5, or PPL heavy accessory-based routines in their classes. There are way truly too many fitness workouts and not enough actual lifting workouts. Even the bulk program only uses 40 seconds of rest (even though the coach himself notes 90 seconds is ideal) which can at times feel like I’m doing HIIT training.

Similarly, the number of classes using the great accessories they provide is minimal at best. Only 15 of the classes out of their 223 use the long bar. Most of the classes are focused on full body HIIT style workouts rather than true PPL / Hypertrophy routines. There are a few out there, but again since they use the handles versus bar — it can feel very very disorienting to a more experienced lifter used to barbell movements. It is actually mindblowing to me that there is not a single program out that uses bar squats, bar deadlifts, bar bench, and bar overhead press in a week-long repeatable routine together given those are traditionally considered core lifting exercises.

The new Bulk classes with Gerard are an exception to this as these classes do use a lot of the accessories pretty effectively. Gerard himself also makes for a pretty great trainer with a lot of fun anecdotes and sayings (We’re getting juicy!!). The Vitruvian team has also promised an exciting 12-week hypertrophy program in October — so it’s clear it’s something they are working on. One small caveat is that even in the new classes, programming can be a bit wonky. I had to flag for their team that the Leg Day for the Bulk program was labeled as using a bar, but the coach themselves was using handles and a short bar. On the same program, the coach also calls the programmed suitcase deadlifts as suitcase squats. So it’s clear some more attention to detail is necessary there. Regardless of these small frustrations, the workout itself is excellent.

I will also note that they seem to be uneven in the speed at which they introduce classes and programs. In my month and a half tracking the app, I’ve noticed about 10–12 new classes get introduced. Some weeks you get 4–5 new ones, other weeks you’ll get nothing. They also usually introduce the classes that are a part of a program first and then introduce the program afterward. There is an inexplicable delay to this. For example, the Bulk classes still haven’t actually come out as a program even though they’ve been out for nearly 3 weeks now. To this point, there is also a sea of random work-outs with no programs attached to them so it can be easy for them to get lost (just 20 programs, 223 classes). A better mix would be appreciated.

To this end, the overwhelming majority of the classes use just TuT and nothing else. I’ve noticed a few eccentric-only programs pop-up recently, but those are the exception. Vitruvian truly needs to diversify its modes in its classes AND/OR allow people to change the mode of the class. Finally, the lack of communication on when classes or new programs will come, and a broader look ahead is quite odd given competitors are so fulsome in this department.

Stat Tracking

The standard tracking and data features are all in the phone app. Every workout one does on the device, even classes or workouts that have been interrupted, are displayed. Despite some of the connection issues I detail later, the device has never missed a single rep or set. All of this data is displayed in the activity tab on the phone app (not available on TV) and one can click into every workout to see specifics like peak weight, average weight load, reps, force, position, and velocity. Clicking into the data section shows progression in your exercises across time — which serves as a helpful view to track your improvement over time. Unfortunately, this view only shows peak load (when the average can be quite different in a mode like TuT) and you are not able to click through to see the actual rep/load/force/position data. You have to go into the actual workouts you did on that date to see it. This can be frustrating given the swiping and back/forth necessary to compare over time.

On the plus side, the performance metrics that are there once you get into it are extremely helpful. Knowing I have a tendency not to fully stand towards the end of a set for my back squats through the positioning indicator is a fascinating self-help tool. Similarly, knowing I’ve lost tension or bailed out on certain workouts through the force section tells me where I need to perhaps reduce the weight a little to allow me to get my form before pushing for more gains.

An area of improvement I’d recommend is allowing users to compare their overall averages in this view for peak / average load as well as rep/force. Similarly, the device doesn’t seem to track concentric or eccentric PBs separately, which seems odd given the focus on eccentric for the device. Another thing to note is that the device doesn’t really give you the total weight lifted for the workout, which isalso odd given that they have a lifetime weight total and base their scoring stats on this. I really like the ability to compare my total workout weight in various other lifting apps particularly to see my load/progression from workout to workout and it is disappointing it isn’t here. I’ve taken to comparing my score, but that seems like a cheap imitation at best.

Finally, the app provides a pie chart of muscle groups that gives you a percentage of what part of your body you’ve worked. It isn’t quite the same as a full-body muscle fatigue indicator seen on other smart gyms or smart apps, but it is a starting point. I’d like to see them add more specific body parts beyond say back/shoulders for example and instead add specific muscles like lats and delts. They have the ability to do this since the app already allows you to filter by the more generic body part and would bring them more in line with their competitors.

Connection Lost

There is also a certain level of plug-and-play that comes with built-in screen solutions like Tonal, Mirror, and Tempo. You walk up to it, press a few buttons, and it is good to go. On the Trainer+, you need to load up an app, connect to the device, cast it to a screen, and deal with the ups and downs of those steps.

I had heard about the dreaded “connection lost ‘’ issue a few times and had also read they had largely fixed it. In my experience, this isn’t completely accurate. Since the device requires you to connect to Bluetooth every time you want to workout, you need to pair it through the app. Normally this is relatively automatic. On my phone, I seem to have rock-solid connections with the device. Unfortunately, using my Nvidia Shield with the Vitruvian Google TV app, I’ve had to deal with a lot of problems. The device will disconnect mid-workout, pause the class I am doing, and reconnect randomly. Often if it happens once, it seems to happen multiple times. I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve had to unplug and restart my Shield and the Vitruvian every time I want to work out to ensure it works. Even then, the connection will still drop from time to time. It is an odd problem — I’m not sure if it is my Shield or if it is the Vitruvian — but this kind of friction can be really frustrating.

TV App, Tablet Apps etc

Speaking of the TV app — while the design is definitely more elegant than the phone app — it isn’t very full-featured. It is focused very much on individual classes. It doesn’t show your favorites in classes, preprogrammed custom workouts, or even their own Programs (a collection of classes). It is also missing a search function, so if you’re looking for a specific class, have fun scrolling through pages of content. That said, once you are in workout, being able to use a large screen is such a luxury. I feel more motivated and immersed and can certainly see it as an improvement over the 24 inch Tonal screen.

On the screen, you see a few things. You see your Range of Motion indicators on both sides which correlate to the cables on each side of the machine. Your current weight is displayed on the bottom right corner and fluctuates based on the mode you’re in, what toggles you have on, and the tempo you have. Often you’ll see very fast adjustments that showcase just how smart this machine is. The weight does show per side rather than the total, so if you are lifting a 100lb barbell bench, the indicator will only show 50lb. This is replicated throughout the app for PBs and average weight. Personally, I would like them to show overall weight for two-handed exercises like competitors do. It feels a little silly to have to do math — however minimal — for a “smart” gym. I also ran into a weird bug on the TV app where if you lowered the difficulty slider all the way down and back up again, the weights it would give you were different than what you started with.

Unfortunately, there is no tablet app at all, so if you’re an iPhone / iPad user you’ll have to make do with the phone version of the app. This seems like a massive oversight given the popularity of those products. Similarly, casting and streaming from a device actually loses you certain features over using the TV app, including most importantly data like the ROM indicators.

Community/Gamification

The community elements are very threadbare. Each exercise gives you points and at the end of a workout, you receive a cumulative score for your workout. If you choose to be shown on the leaderboard, it will show your cumulative score compared to other users for the day, week, and month. That’s it. There really isn’t much else in the way of gamification — like Tonal’s brilliant strength score — or other interactive elements such as a support groups, joint or live classes, or a user-generated preprogrammed workout library (the app helpfully allows you to share your workouts, but provides little in the way of actually helping you share it other than a link). I know this is a focus for them

Missing Features

Unfortunately, there are a ton of missing features. The software doesn’t give users the much-needed ability to swap out exercises, change weight mid-stream, or switch modes (like the aforementioned TuT vs Old School/Beast for low ROM exercises) in classes. Neither can you add an additional set of something in the middle of a preprogrammed workout. The device is also missing the ability to redo ROM for a set if for whatever reason it fails. Requiring you instead to restart the workout altogether. And because the app only uses body parts instead of specific muscles, there isn’t much in the way of a muscle fatigue/readiness/recommendation system like you may see in other workout apps or on the Tonal. Finally, for a device with such a low-featured TV app, it doesn’t actually allow you to cast in the phone app. Rather, it forces you to use your phone OS’ casting feature (Airplay or GoogleCast) to display the whole phone screen rather than creating a specific cast function. This is also why key information like ROM isn’t shown.

Exercises are also in a bit of a weird place. They don’t allow you to do a custom exercise at all, so you’re stuck with finding one you may never use and just pretending that is your custom mode. There are also several key exercises missing that should be included. Similarly, there are exercises that seem to be incorrectly labeled. The exercise library gifs are low quality (versus using video like Fitbod or Tonal does for example). Finally, the coaches sometimes recommend completely different setups on Instagram or in some of the classes than what the exercise gif has on there. Bulgarian split-squats is a good example of this. While the app recommends a single handle bar with a bench on the device, one of the main trainers on their official Instagram page recommends the bench off the device and using both handles. Little things like this can be really frustrating to a new user given the latter option feels much more effective than what is actually programmed. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when coaches do segments like this on social, but I think they need to do some follow-through on the software.

To this end, I also think some of the exercises are in there just to add to the overall number as they’re just too awkward to do or not really doable on the device. Vitruvian needs to do a revamp of the whole library with proper video and quality control on what exercises actually work.

Syncing with other Fitness Products

The Vitruvian says it syncs with Apple Health and Google Fit. As an Android and Garmin user, I had initially thought I could sync to Google Fit and then try to get it into the Garmin ecosystem somehow. Unfortunately, for some reason, Vitruvian only sends individual exercises/preprogrammed workouts data to Fit, not classes. So if you are doing a program or a class, that information does not get sent over. Unfortunately, since I’ve been doing Gerard’s new Bulk program, my only non-class exercises are small accessory lifts. So I have a bunch of very short entries in Google Fit of some accessory workouts I added that the class didn’t cover. When the workout information IS sent, it includes the exercises, reps, and average weight done. *I CONTACTED VITRUVIAN ABOUT THIS AND THEY TOLD ME THEY PUSHED AN UPDATE TO FIX THIS, BUT I HAVEN’T HAD A CHANCE TO TEST IT YET*

I haven’t quite figured out how to get the minimal Google Fit data over Garmin yet — at least not in a way that has the reps/weights/exercise listed rather than just time/calories burned.

Tonal or Vitruvian?

This ended up being a lot closer of a call for me than I anticipated. The Tonal wins out in the software category and it isn’t close. The classes, the features, the community, the significantly better UI, and the overall lack of friction is wonderful. I haven’t decided yet if I like Vitruvian’s ROM weight deload versus Tonal’s weight button — they each have their pluses and minuses.

On the hardware, lifting on the Vitruvian definitely just feels better. It is smoother, there is less shake, and the eccentric portion feels tougher. It’s hard to describe, but while Tonal feels like Digital Weights 1.0, Vitruvian feels like Digital Weights 2.0 with a much better adjustment curve on the spotter and the weights feeling more like they are fighting you. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, this experience has enough friction that for a relative beginner one has to ask themselves if they are willing to put the time in, learn how to use the device, and be patient with the software. If they are, I think many will be very happy with the Trainer+ and will have an immense ability to grow with the device that they wouldn’t otherwise have with the Tonal.

This goes double if you expect to max out Tonal’s 200lbs with compound movements. While digital weights DO feel heavier, your body definitely starts to get used to it and the difference is closer to 10–15% of real world weights than the 30+% numbers I’ve seen bandied about. I’ve already noticed leaps for my PB on my leg days from my first work out to my most recent. My legs have gotten used to the eccentric portion and learn to move through it. Vitruvian’s 440+lb capacity is a pretty amazing thing and I don’t feel like I’m ever going to max out this thing out.

Being able to just put away and hide my workout equipment after a really tough workout also never goes old. I could have dedicated a wall to the Tonal if I wanted, but living in a small city townhome, the relative ease of setup and mobility to the Trainer+ is worth its weight in gold. I definitely plan to take it on longer driving trips with me as well — which is an added bonus.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations:

Tonal is a very different device today than it was two years ago. It took a lot of hard work on the software to get there and I truly think the Trainer+ can get to that level. However, an area of improvement for Vitruvian will be the communication of these features. They refuse to give roadmaps or any real previews of upcoming features or classes. This makes it very difficult for a prospective or current owner to know what to expect. Are the frustrations I’ve listed already being worked on? Are they not prioritizing it? I have no idea. For a startup that is going to live and die by its software, this lack of communication is odd as usually, that’s the easiest thing to get right given the smaller company.

Hopefully, this very lengthy overview is helpful to those of you that are looking to buy or already own. I plan on keeping the device as I think the positives outweigh the negatives, but certainly think it requires some patience and learning to get there. As I stated at the outset, I would give the Trainer+ a solid 8 out of 10. What this little device does in its footprint is nothing short of miraculous. My complaints are a mix of advice to the company and buyer beware on what people are signing up for versus a recommendation against buying.